Page 57 of Owned

Valen and I trailed behind, and I could feel the question brewing in him.

“You think he knows?” Valen asked at last, low enough to remain unheard beyond our circle.

It was what I dreaded most. Lucian’s web was vast, his spies unfathomably skilled. He’d known of Dario Velez’s plot twenty years ago—he couldn’t have missed ours. Not entirely.

“I’d be an idiot to believe that he didn’t suspect something,” I said. “But he doesn’t know enough.”

“Yet.”

One word, dangerous like a blade pressed to my throat. Valen shifted his gaze to the horizon, where Withermarsh loomed like a watchful specter. He was worried about Avril—that was obvious—but we wouldn’t be able to protect her from Lucian if we couldn’t even protect ourselves.

“Keep your mind on Lucian and his demands,” I said in a tone that made it clear it wasn’t his place to argue. “We can’t give anything away.”

My mind raced as we joined Bastian, who was already revving the engine of the black SUV with impatient fingers drumming on the wheel. We would need to move faster, risk more.

“Get out,” I snapped. “Take your bike.”

Bastian opened his mouth to complain and then slid out of the driver’s seat to let me step past him.

“So,” he called over the rumble of the motor as I climbed in. “How many volunteers should we gift wrap for Father?”

“A half dozen should keep him busy,” I replied. “And let’s leave them breathing this time.”

Bastian smirked, devilish and bright. “I’ll try not to break them too badly.”

Our youngest brother wouldn’t need to push hard; even after the purge that had already taken place, a whisper of Lucian’s displeasure would send most of the Council scrambling to unveil new treacheries… even if they had to invent them to keep Lucian’s eye turned away from their actions.

“Good.”

Valen locked eyes with me, but only for a moment before he grabbed his helmet and shoved it down to conceal his features. Bastian snatched his helmet from the back of his bike and straddled his sleek black motorcycle.

“You’d better keep up, brother,” Bastian mocked him as Lucian threw his leg over his own bike. Valen’s posture didn’t change as he turned the key and kicked the bike to life.

The roar of the engine filled the garage and Bastian rolled his eyes dramatically before he pushed his helmet over his blond curls and the roar of his bike joined Valen’s.

He peeled out of the garage, and Valen followed, their bikes tearing down the road toward Messana.

I watched them go until distance and mist blurred their figures.

Bastian was right: this was punishment.

Our father had set us an impossible task, one meant to test our loyalty or break us completely.

I had no doubt that Lucian suspected enough to know we were lying to him, and he would savor every moment of our downfall.

Unless we could stop him.

There was no room for error now. Lucian’s paranoia would only heighten in the days to come, and with it, his vigilance. Weneeded a distraction big enough to blind him, but subtle enough not to alert him.

Avril might be that distraction, but she was also a risk we could scarcely afford. Valen’s fascination with her was growing dangerous; it clouded his judgment and threatened to unravel everything. If Lucian turned his attention toward Avril… I didn’t trust that Valen wouldn’t do something stupid.

Or Bastian.

I barely trusted myself.

My grip on the steering wheel tightened as I pressed the accelerator and followed my brothers down the road that led into Messana.

Avril should have been our plaything.

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